Odor eliminating device



May 21, 1935. E. S.'SMITH ODOR ELIMINATING DEVICE Filed Dec. 14, 1952 Ear/e S Smith v INVENTOR TTORNE Y Patented May 21, 1935 ODOR ELIMINATING-DEVICE' Earle S. Smith, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to The Toledo Porcelain Enamel Products Company,

; Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application December l l, 1932, Serial No. 641117 Y 1 Claim. (01. 1834) This" invention relates to odor eliminating de vices and particularly to cartridges containing adsorbent substances and adapted to be placed in refrigerators.

One of-the principal objects of the invention is the provision of a cartridge adapted to contain activated carbon or other material capable of eliminating odors by adsorption and provided with means for insuring extensive contact of the adsorption medium with the air to be deodorized.

Another object is the provision of means for causing renewal, by circulation, of the portion of the air subjected to the influence of the deodorizing substance.

preventing particles of activated carbon or other material from falling away from the cartridge.

Another object is the provision of an odor eliminating cartridge provided with means for hanging it from the wire shelving of a refrigerator so that it will occupy space which would be seldom used for foodstuffs. I

Still another object is the provision of an odor eliminating cartridge which can readily be hung in place and readily removedfor reactivation or refilling.

Another object is the provision of a deodorizing cartridge of attractive appearance.

And still another object is the provision of a 30 cartridge so constructedthat its parts can be economically produced and rapidly assembled by unskilled labor.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description. in which reference is had to the accompanying drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment of my invention and wherein similar reference numerals designate similar parts throughout the several views.

In the drawing:

Figure I is an elevational view of the device of my invention with a part broken out to shorten the figure;

Figure II is a view in vertical longitudinal section, with a part similarly broken out, taken substantially on the line II-II of Figure III; and

Figure III is a view in vertical transverse section taken substantially on the line IIIIII of Figure I.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the exterior casing of the device consists essentially of 'a cylindrical body I, which is preferably made of steel coated with vitreous porcelain enamel, its ends being partially closed by means of indentical caps 2, which are preferably steel stampings Another object is the provision of means for plated with chromium or otherwise finished to enhance their appearance and durability.

In order to provide for extensive contact of the air with the contents of the container, the caps 2 are provided with circular openings 3 surrounded 5 by inwardly projecting flanges 4 which extend into the ends of a tube 5 made of fine wire mesh. The tunnel thus formed, extending throughout the length of the cartridge and having a wall of fine wire mesh, permits ingress of air to the in 10 terior of the container, which is preferably substantially filled with activated carbon 6 or other material capable of removing odors from the surrounding air by adsorption.

For the dual purpose of holding the caps 2 in assembled position on the ends of the cylindrical body I and for supporting the device in operative position below the shelf of a refrigerator, I have devised hooks I and 8 integral with semi-bands 9 and Ill which terminate in inwardly projecting fingers such as I l and I2. The hooks l and 8 and semi-bands 9 and ID are made of resilient material and attractively and durably finished by chromium plating or otherwise. When the semibands are pushed into the positions in which they are shown in Figures I and III on the caps 2, the fingers H and [2 will snap into registering openings in the caps 2 and the cylindrical body I, thus securely locking the cylindrical body, the caps 2 and the wire mesh tube 5 into assembled relation.

The hook 8 is slightly longer than the hook I, so that when the device is hung by means of the hooks and 8 beneath a horizontal shelf, the end supported by the short hook I will be slightly higher than the end supported by the long hook 8. Hence if the cartridge be hung in the part of a refrigerator in which cold air is sinking from .the upper into the lower part of the refrigerator,

the cold air will enter the higher end of the cartridge supported by the short hook I, pass through 40 the wire mesh tube 5 and emerge from the lower end of the cartridge supported by the long hook 8. If the device be hung in a location in a refrigerator in which air is rising from the lower to the upper part, air will enter the lower end of the cartridge supported by the long hook 8 and, passing through the wire mesh tube 5, will emerge at the higher end of the cartridge supported by the short hook I. The device thus takes advantage of the convection currents in the refrigerator to insure constant renewal of the air in contact with the odor eliminating medium.

Because of its nearly horizontal position, such carbon as may sift into the interior of the wire mesh tube 5 will remain there and will not fall upon such foodstuffs as may be located below the cartridge. The flanges 4 are slightly frusto-conical in shape. Therefore, where they extend into the ends of the wire mesh tube 5, their edges form obstructions which prevent such fine carbon as may have sifted into the interior of the wire mesh tube from rolling or sliding out of the end of the tube when it is tipped out of its nearly horizontal position,.as it may be in removing itfrom the refrigerator for reactivation or renewal of the odor eliminating medium.

Spilling of carbon from the interior may be prevented and the carbon may be kept freshiand uncontaminated indefinitely during storage, shipment and handling by tightlycorking the circular openings 3. j

The embodiment of my invention herein shown and described is to be regarded as illustrative only, and it is to be understood that the invention is susceptible to variation, modification and change within the spirit and scope of the subjoined claim.

Having described my invention, I claim:

. In an odor eliminating device, in-vcombination, a hollow cartridge having an imperiorate outer Wall, said cartridge having at its opposite ends openings adapted to be corked to constitute the device an airtight container, whereby it may be handled and stored without deterioration of its contents, a mesh walled tunnel connecting said openings, said imperforate outer wall and said mesh walled tunnel together defining an annular chamber, said annular chamber being charged with activated carbon, and means for suspending said cartridge from two supports, said suspend- --ing-means being so constructed that when such supports are atapproximately the same level said cartridge is supported with said mesh walled tunnel inclined to facilitate passage therethrough of convection currents of air to be purified, the ends of said cartridge being provided with annular 'fianges -of=frusto-conioal shape which surround said openings and extend into said mesh walled tunnel to prevent such particles of carbon as may 

